Acid-reflux

[sapiens42]

Omaprozole is not always adequate. Do fellow sufferers know what food and drink to avoid and what food and drink is not problematic please?

[richey]

I found coke and chocalet im fine with lemonade

[bonniebluebird]

Buy some fennel seeds from Tesco or any supermarket & chew a few now and then, or else you can steep them in boiling water to make a tea to sip as needed. They will help settle your tummy. As for foods, avoid sugar and processed foods. You need an alkaline diet to create a better body Ph. It will make your body less acidic. Google 'acid-alkaline food list' and you'll see which foods it's best to avoid. Most prescription meds are notorious in creating acid conditions in your stomach, & you'd be amazed at what foods do as well!

[Hidden]

spicy foods smoked kippers , curries, alcohol, fizzy drinks,citrus fruits,

I tend to eat bland meals fish lean meat green veg always steamed I never eat late at night

don't smoke or drink

[Janepepper]

I eat only very bland, soft food. Nothing spicy, fried or hard to digest. I eat chicken breast, cooked in the oven in water. Cream cheese on a slice of soft, white bread. Bran flakes for breakfast in water, not milk and they have to be soggy. Plain pasta with nothing on it. Anything other than that will make me be sick. I never touch red meat. It's incredibly dull, but my stomach is so sensitive. Mostly, I just avoid food altogether. I eat less than 500 calories a day. I often go 2 days without eating at all. Not that you'd know to look at me! I'm huge. I'm under 5' in height and wear a size 18 in clothes. But my acid reflux is severe enough to need surgery. I'm not having the surgery because I worry what size I would be if I could eat normally. I've been suffering for years, just bending to put my shoes on can bring on a severe bout of reflux. But in an peculiar way I'm grateful I have it. Not that any of my doctors believe me. They all think I'm pigging out all day. It's not logical that someone as obese as me doesn't eat. So I can't get help, even though my husband is convinced that I have an eating disorder on top of my reflux.

[sapiens42]

Jane thanks so much. I feel for you and am grateful my problem is just the unpleasant nature of the acid-reflux

[Calceolaria]

I swear by Peptac, OTC. Very soothing and also healing. Has NO aspartame in it, like Gaviscon does.

[sapiens42 in reply to Calceolaria]

Very many thanks

[earthwitch]

I had enormous problems with taking stomach protecting meds, as every single one I tried just seemed to make the reflux and heartburn worse. What didn't make sense to me was that eating very acidy meals actually made my digestion better (I had had to take metoclopramide to help my stomach empty properly when I was taking omeprazole, because food just wasn't digesting). Then I did a bit of Dr Google, and discovered that the symptoms of LOW stomach acid can be pretty much the same as symptoms of too much stomach acid. I stopped all the stomach protecting meds and started doing things like having hot lemon and ginger drinks, or putting balsamic vinegar on my salads or vegetables, or drinking grapefruit juice, and that seems to work for me.

If you think that might be the case, ask your doctor if there is any possibility you could have low stomach acid. Oddly enough, stomach acid production decreases as you get older, and yet as you get older, more people seem to be on acid suppressant medications! no wonder they don't work! If you are taking the omeprazole to try and keep on taking NSAIDs, and because the NSAIDs are irritating your stomach, then it just may be that you have to ask about giving up the NSAIDs. I got on OK with them for about three years, then started suffering,and even after trying another 5 or 6 different ones just got to the point where I realised it was the end of the line for NSAID treatment for me.

[sapiens42]

Very many thanks

[jinger]

I keep away from all fizzy drinks, limit my caffeine intake (I drink a lot of peppermint and liquorish tea nowadays), and avoid citrus fruit and spicy food. What I have found that helps is eating a ripe banana or a peanut butter sandwich - found by accident when I ran out of antacid stuff late at night!

[mimimouse]

Nexium is much better than omeprozol.

[Heorte]

I'd agree with all of the above, but sometimes it can be helped by looking at your body position. We all tend to slump down and curl over from aching and pain, and if you can cushion yourself into sitting upright during the evening and walk (?) a little trying to straighten up, it may help. If you are ever stuck for relief try 1/4 teaspoon soda bicarb and two teaspoons cornflour in water or milk. Absolutely disgusting to swallow but I have used it very successfully on elderly relatives too, for night time problems. Don't forget, pain causes high stomach acid too. Good luck.

[mitziblue]

I suffer from it also. I take OTC Zegrid and it helps better than anything I've taken thus far. As for what to drink and not, caffeine is your enemy. Hope this helps. xxx Mitzi

[sapiens42 in reply to mitziblue]

Many thanks Mitzi

[Boozybird]

Google FODMAPS and experiment cutting out different fruits and veg. We are told to eat more but not all affect us equally! You may have an underlying condition like thyroid problem which may be affecting your weight as it is just not possible to maintain high weight on 500 cals a day. If you need surgery for reflux you should reconsider having it as there may be other consequences down the line for your health. Ask the GP. Also, ask for a helicobacter pyloris test. This is a common source of stomach irritation. It is a bacteria and it roosts near the top of the stomach. I had this and had a course of antibiotics which resolved all my stomach issues! Best wishes

[sapiens42]

Many thanks. Fancy a drink sometime?! Had no idea A-R had any connection to thyroid issues - I have a longstanding under active thyroid.

[welshnut]

Eat almonds after a meal. I have tried this and have actually gone without my tablets for the odd night.

In Denmark they recommend almonds for morning sickness and acid stomach, I laughed when told but it does really work. Good luck x

[sapiens42]

Thank you very much.Very helpful. A practical solution.